Product Description

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As a reluctant student at Harrington High's summer school, Chris meets a fun-loving senior girl who offers a welcome diversion from Chris's past. Soon Chris no longer searches for the truth about the town of Solitary. He no longer tries to pierce its shadows. He no longer questions his role in its mysteries. He makes a new choice: he runs. What he doesn't realize is that he's running the wrong way-and is very close to being beyond any choices at all.

Product Information

Publisher's Description

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The third book in the Solitary Tales series for young adults, Temptation follows the soul-wrenching twists of Chris Buckleys journey as he heads deeper into a darkness that threatens all he loves best.

As a reluctant student at Harrington Highs summer school, Chris meets a fun-loving senior girl who offers a welcome diversion from Chriss past. Soon Chris no longer searches for the truth about the town of Solitary. He no longer tries to pierce its shadows. He no longer questions his role in its mysteries. He makes a new choice: he runs. What he doesnt realize is that hes running the wrong wayand is very close to being beyond any choices at all.

Author Bio

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Travis Thrasher is the author of more than a dozen works of fiction, including Solitary, Gravestone, Isolation and Ghostwriter. His writing is known for its honesty, depth, and surprising twists. Thrasher lives with his wife and daughters in Chicago.

ChristianBookPreviews.com

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Temptation, the third book of Travis Thrasher's Christian suspense series, The Solitary Tales, portrays the consequences of Chris Buckley's decision to stop fighting the darkness of Solitary and live like a normal teenager. Like most of his plans, it backfires drastically when Chris discovers his heritage and the importance of his future role in the cult led by Pastor Jeremiah Marsh and Mr. Staunch, who owns the majority of their town. Chris' anger over the murder of his girlfriend Jocelyn by that same cult has since simmered into indifference, but he is soon shocked into fear which leads to rebellion when all he loves is threatened.

Thrasher's short chapters and frank narrative are enhanced by his allusions to music and movies and by Chris' witty sarcasm that makes the reader laugh. Thrasher sometimes portrays Chris as the clueless teenage guy- especially when it comes to girls- but by writing about Chris's tremulous relationship with his parents, the whirlwind romance he's had with the new senior girl on campus who is not as she appears to be, the new role he is supposed to play in the cultish community now that he's stopped fighting it, and a new ability that scares him out of his wits, Thrasher makes Chris and the people he interacts with seem very real. In the very last chapter, hope prevails when Chris's fear, anger, and heartache are about to overrun him and he turns away from the evil and temptation of Solitary's cult, instead asking Jesus to replace his hurt with hope.

Chris is far from perfect. He makes rash decisions, he hurts the ones he loves, he's sarcastic and pessimistic, and he is almost obnoxiously selfish at times. He's a teenager. Thrasher presents Chris not as flawless, but as believable and relatable to the readers; an impressive feat when readers discover Chris also sees visions of the undead and lives in a town filled with secrets and villainous intentions. Kelsey, the girl-next-door who is falling for Chris, is a realistic teenage girl. She is hurt by Chris's relationship with Lily, but also works to catch his attention and get her happily-ever-after in a town that is anything but a fairyland. Lily and Chris's other friends from school seem like typical teenagers, but they too have their secrets, making their relationships have a dark twist, which, in Solitary, is dangerous.

Temptation may be a long book, yet it still ends too soon. The hope of the last chapter leaves the reader wanting more, only to find that the fourth installment of The Solitary Tales will not be released until January 2013. The creepy suspense of this series has had undertones of the hope only Jesus can bring since its beginning, but now that Chris is finally choosing to believe, the story gains another layer in this multifaceted journey to Christianity in a world, in a town, that is obsessed with darkness and ungodliness. Teens, young adults, and adults will enjoy Thrasher's latest addition to The Solitary Tales. I recommend all of the books of The Solitary Tales to anyone who is not afraid of what lurks in the dark, though such things should scare us because the battle between light and darkness, good and evil, hope and hurt is very real, as Chris discovers. - Gina Graham, www.ChristianBookPreviews.com

The third book in the Solitary Tales series for young adults, Temptation follows the soul-wrenching twists of Chris Buckley's journey as he heads deeper into a darkness that threatens all he loves best.

As a reluctant student at Harrington High's summer school, Chris meets a fun-loving senior girl who offers a welcome diversion from Chris's past. Soon Chris no longer searches for the truth about the town of Solitary. He no longer tries to pierce its shadows. He no longer questions his role in its mysteries. He makes a new choice: he runs. What he doesn't realize is that he's running the wrong wayÃ¢â¬âand is very close to being beyond any choices at all.

My Review:

In this stunning third installment to the Solitary Tales Series, Chris's experiences in town are escalating to a breaking point. Solitary is nonchalantly covering up murder, dabbling in the occult, and a multitude of other sins. Chris is numb to the idea that evil lurks within, and rather than continue his search, he just lets it go. So many times in this novel I just wanted to scream at him to dig deeper, to look harder, to not give up.

The answers Chris was searching for have finally found him. Unwillingly, he is drawn to the secrets that have seemed to evade him from the beginning, and he is powerless to keep from being sucked under. Supernatural elements are at play, and Thrasher portrays everything in a completely believable light despite the absolute impossibility of some situations.

Thrasher continues to amaze and enthrall with his stories, and you will never see the world in the same light again. That dark, foreboding feeling stays with you throughout the book as it has done from the beginning, and no matter who you are, or what your age, everyone can enjoy and take away something from the Solitary Tales.

This book was provided by the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review.

The third book in the Solitary Tales series for young adults, Temptation follows the soul-wrenching twists of Chris Buckley's journey as he heads deeper into a darkness that threatens all he loves best.

As a reluctant student at Harrington High's summer school, Chris meets a fun-loving senior girl who offers a welcome diversion from Chris's past. Soon Chris no longer searches for the truth about the town of Solitary. He no longer tries to pierce its shadows. He no longer questions his role in its mysteries. He makes a new choice: he runs. What he doesn't realize is that he's running the wrong wayÃ¢â¬âand is very close to being beyond any choices at all.

My Review:

In this stunning third installment to the Solitary Tales Series, Chris's experiences in town are escalating to a breaking point. Solitary is nonchalantly covering up murder, dabbling in the occult, and a multitude of other sins. Chris is numb to the idea that evil lurks within, and rather than continue his search, he just lets it go. So many times in this novel I just wanted to scream at him to dig deeper, to look harder, to not give up.

The answers Chris was searching for have finally found him. Unwillingly, he is drawn to the secrets that have seemed to evade him from the beginning, and he is powerless to keep from being sucked under. Supernatural elements are at play, and Thrasher portrays everything in a completely believable light despite the absolute impossibility of some situations.

Thrasher continues to amaze and enthrall with his stories, and you will never see the world in the same light again. That dark, foreboding feeling stays with you throughout the book as it has done from the beginning, and no matter who you are, or what your age, everyone can enjoy and take away something from the Solitary Tales.

This book was provided by the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review.

Chris Buckley has been struggling with a lot of issues since he and his mother moved to Solitary. That's just what seems to happen to when you move here. You find yourself a bit isolated from everyone else. It's hard enough trying to fit in and when you finally make friends, something happens so them. They move away. They disappear. Or they are murdered.

Chris attempts to come to terms with what has been happening in this town, and once again he finds he is alone. Aside from a small black dog named Midnight, Chris wrestles with the inner demons inside himself. Those that constantly blame him for things that have gone wrong. That as a sixteen-year-old boy he should have been able to put a stop to things in Solitary. But he's being watched. Every single thing he does, he's being watched. He still can't trust anyone in town and he's afraid more than ever to make friends. So when faced with dealing with spending the summer once again back in school at Harrington High, he tries to make the best of it by keeping to himself. With only a few other people in his summer school class and a teacher that wants to be anywhere but here, Chris finds himself digging a bit deeper into the darkness surrounding the town.

This time he attempts to confront Pastor Jeremiah Marsh who promises him anything his heart truly desires if he is willing to seek answers with him. It seems like Chris is the only one centered around the dark happenings in this strange town where secret buried tunnels beneath the town and people who can't die have something to hide. Will Chris face his greatest temptation in facing the darkness head on or will he become part of what the town is trying to hide?

In the third book in the Solitary Tales series by Travis Thrasher, Temptation looks at what happens when I believe you're pushed to the end of your proverbial rope and sanity at the same time. You begin to question what is real and what isn't. What is worth a risk and what isn't and it's at this stage that Chris is finally facing his darkest fears and those that seem to have the answers he seeks. But once again, those that move in to become his allies, are they just playing him for their own purposes or do they truly have good intentions at helping Chris finally get to the bottom of the darkness and evil that thrives in the town of Solitary?

I received Temptation by Travis Thrasher compliments of David C. Cook Publishers and Net Galley for my honest review and have to say, when you pick up anything by Travis Thrasher you are instantly hooked in the world he creates for his readers. It borders on the darkest places in our minds and show the reader just where the true spiritual battles are fought, in our minds! I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars and now, can't wait for book 4 due out next year. For those of you who have never read a book by Travis Thrasher, think Stephen King, but with a Christian twist you don't see coming!!

Chris Buckley and his mother moved to Solitary, North Carolina after his parents separated over the issue of his father's faith. After months of pressure, Chris just shuts down. Forces to attend summer school, he believes that he is stuck when Lilly walks through the door. Then when she notices him, his angst turns to joy and he forces all the scary things out of his mind and focuses solely on Lilly. After his mother tries to commit suicide while on a drinking binge, Chris believes that he is on his own with total freedom. Behind the scenes, though, manipulation increases forcing him to open his eyes.

In this third installment to Thrasher's Solitary Tales, the mood lifts a little as Chris finds a new girl, but the level of evil increases. The surprises continue keeping the reader locked into the series. Still a good bet for anyone looking at the horror, suspense genre with the added benefit of a Christian slant and no blatant profanity or sex scenes.

In the short seven months since he and his mother moved to Solitary North Carolina, he's encountered failure and loss, grief and anger, unanswered questions and mystery, lies and betrayal, horror and the supernatural. And now, a kid who could definitely use a vacation from it all is forced to attend summer school.

Such fertile soil for sowing seeds of TEMPTATION.

His will and spirit now broken, Chris's hopelessness and inadequacy against the dark forces at work in this town change his resolve to give in and be left alone, to fit in and get what he can, to start acting like the teenager he is; becoming what those close to him have been telling him all along that he isn't. Helping him on the path of shunning the old is an acceptance toward those who've been bringing the chaos to Solitary and a beautiful new student, Lily.

In this third book of the Solitary Tales, a series known for its suspense and horror, we get what we came back for though presented differently from what we're accustomed to. Each book has had its own flavor, and in a Fictionaddict.com interview, Travis told listeners that this book would take on a different point of view which has been realized through the darker outlook Chris now has. Through sunglasses tinted with angst, old characters are shunned, new characters are taken in physically as opposed to emotionally, and many of the darker incidents are viewed callously and matter of fact.

But by no means does this softening make it a less enjoyable story. TEMPTATION is arguably the most important book in the series so far, bridging the gap between fear and courage, inadequacy and hope, ineptitude and strength. This is where discovery and answers turn Chris to action.

Yes, answers! While not everything gets revealed here, there are some very satisfying conclusions to some of the questions raised in SOLITARY and GRAVESTONE, and while most of these answers are revealed through dialog, astute readers may find stand-out symbolism in this book worth looking into on their own. I found the inclusion of this interactivity to be an exciting aspect of the book, giving me chills at times even as it offered a little deeper insight into the roles of some of the characters and the goings on.

For me, this series has been a remarkable page-turning find that I can't get enough of. From characters that grab your heartstrings to horrors and suspense that makes putting the book down impossible, this series has it all. While SOLITARY had my heart shaking an angry fist at Travis, and in GRAVESTONE that same fist was up stifling a shocked gasp, here in TEMPTATION it was fist-pumping an excited cheer of satisfaction and hope that will carry me to the anticipated release of HURT in 2013.